Tuesday, January 27, 2015

Aldermanic candidates voice opinions on bike, walk + transit issues

by Michelle Stenzel

We're thrilled to share with you that all four candidates who will be on the ballot for the 43rd ward aldermanic election responded to our questionnaire on bicycling, walking and public transportation issues! The questionnaire began with eight citywide questions posed by the Active Transportation Alliance, and then Bike Walk Lincoln Park provided five ward-specific queries as well.

The citywide questions touch on many topics of interest, including separated trails for biking and walking on the lake front, support for participatory budgeting in the ward, and support for photo enforcement technology of existing traffic laws. We encourage you to read the full questionnaire responses of all four candidates:

For your convenience, we've posted the five 43rd ward Bike Walk Lincoln Park questions below, followed by each candidate's answer.

BWLP's Question #1

What do you believe is working well for people walking, riding bikes
or taking public transportation in the 43rd ward, and what do you
believe are some of the most important changes that would make it
more safe, convenient and pleasant?

JEN KRAMER:One of my roles at the City of Chicago - Mayor's Office of Special Events was Director
of Sports Development. I was on the original team that helped actualize Bike the
Drive, Chicago's Bike Week and oversaw the City's collective event called Bike
Chicago. I can speak with experience that education on bike safety and creating
cycling events can help promote cycling, safety, and educate our neighborhood on the
importance of alternative transit.

JERRY QUANDT:Working Well

Lincoln Ave. resurfacing and the bike lanes getting repainted.

Brick crosswalks on Clark St. make the crossing more visible
* (Concerned about their sustainability with Chicago winters and snowplows)

Renovations of the underpasses in Lincoln Park.

Establishment of bike lanes per the Chicago Streets for Cycling Plan

Proliferation of Divvy stations in Lincoln Park and the sustained usage by our own
residents.

Crosstown bike lanes established on Armitage and Fullerton
Important Changes

Public transportation access to the lakefront at Fullerton.

#11 Bus being reinstated to run all the way down Lincoln again

24/7 Access at Oak Street underpass.

Redesigning the Lakefront path for multimodal use.

Establishment of protected bike paths on main thoroughfares.

Connection of our network of bike paths to the 606.

Increase in places to lock your bike on the street.

Clearer crosswalk markings at all major intersections.

Wider Sidewalks on Clark Street for pedestrian strolling/shopping

More consistent bus scheduling for cross town routes and better connecting across the
CTA network

Reduction of lakefront bound traffic during the summer by using current underutilized
parking west of Lincoln (RTA and DePaul) and shuttling visitors to the lakefront
attractions.

MICHELE SMITH:The 43rd Ward enjoys a network of buses and transit that are very efficient for getting residents
from the ward to downtown.

I welcome input and feedback about better facilitating public transportation, cycling, and
pedestrian traffic in the ward. I believe that means of transportation outside of personal
automobile travel should be encouraged and promoted to reduce congestion and pollution while
promoting public health. That’s why I constructed nearly three miles of buffered bike lanes.

As part of the Children’s Memorial Hospital for redevelopment, I required the developer to design
and fund (for the first time) full bike lanes through the Halsted/Fullerton/Lincoln intersection.

We must continue to explore different ways to make our bike lanes safer given the narrow width
of our roads. We will continue to upgrade our intersections and make pedestrian safety
improvements a top priority. While we are one of the best served wards in the City,
improvements need to be made to increase the number of bus shelters and bus tracking kiosks,
we must continue to invest in technology to decrease bus bunching, and we intend to pursue a
wayfinding system to our ward to make it easier for residents and tourists to access all of the
ward’s wonderful attractions.

CAROLINE VICKREY:The dual bike/walk paths through Lincoln Park, on the inside of
Lake Shore Drive and the outside of Lake Shore Drive between
North Avenue and Diversey are the best places in the city to
walk and biking. I am a huge fan of Olmsted’s underpasses in
the park near the zoo, where pedestrians do not have to
interact at all with cars to cross Stockton, and Stockton remains
a free flowing car space. We need more of those types of
structures – underpasses or overpasses -- on our lakefront.

BWLP's Question #2

Clark Street from North Avenue to Diversey Parkway is an important
street in Lincoln Park, but problems that have been noted by
residents include: speeding cars, inadequate pedestrian crossings,
narrow sidewalks, lack of bus shelters, lack or inadequacy of bike
lanes, underused storefronts, lack of community space. What are your
ideas to alleviate these problems and make Clark Street safer and
more attractive to all users?

JEN KRAMER:

I would consider utilizing menu money to commission a study with CDOT to review
the entire area. With the number of issues, community needs (residents as well as
businesses) and travel modes (walking, biking, transit, etc.), a comprehensive review
should be done. Once we have identified those needs, I would be work with the budget
office, CDOT, and our state representative to find financing.

I also have a plan for helping fill vacant storefronts, which will be on my campaign
website very soon.

JERRY QUANDT:

The challenge in our Ward is to identify the most suitable network of pathways that best
supports this mode of transportation based on the current and planned infrastructure. With
how tight Clark Street and its sidewalks are I am not sure Clark St. is the best option from
supporting a protected bike pathway. As we assess a comprehensive network of thoroughfares
for biking and walking throughout the ward, my hope is that we find more strategically
integrated routes for protected bike paths.

This solution also has to dovetail with the revitalization of Clark Street and our other 5 key
commercial districts. Once a comprehensive vision for these is completed we should have a
better perspective on the transportation needs and specifications.

MICHELE SMITH:Working to improve Clark St has been a major priority for me over the last four years. I have
fought to fill vacant storefronts, even bringing a delinquent landlord to court, resulting in many
stores being rented. Today, as a result of our efforts, vacancies on Clark St are at a four year low.

Since becoming alderman, I have pioneered the use of in-road pedestrian stop signs and today we
have more of these signs in our ward than in any other ward, significantly improving pedestrian
safety.

We have also built, as part of an overall plan developed with Bike Walk Lincoln Park, the first
pedestrian island on Clark St to make access to the Green City Market safer. We also removed
significant amounts of vendor truck parking for the market off of Clark St and onto Stockton Drive,
creating a safer experience for pedestrians and cyclists.

We have also striped many pedestrian crossing locations with the improved continental-style
crosswalks. One of the first things I did as alderman was to install a new crosswalk in front of
Francis Parker with a pedestrian crossing sign to make it safer for students to cross Clark St.

I have supported the efforts of the Clark St SSA to bring community activities onto Clark St, making
it a more attractive area for shoppers.

I have also pressed the city to come up with a design solution for making our bike lanes safer
throughout our neighborhood because of the narrow width of our streets.

However, more needs to be done: pedestrian crossings are too often ignored and it creates a
dangerous situation for everyone involved.

I have long been a supporter of automobile-free transportation. I believe that Clark St should be
part of a larger transportation infrastructure initiative focused on making alternative
transportation (bicycle, foot, public transit) safer, easier, and more attractive to Chicagoans.

Making Clark St safer and more attractive to pedestrians and cyclists will increase foot and bicycle
traffic in the area, which would be a boon for local businesses.

I look forward to continuing to partner with Bike Walk Lincoln Park to improve our community.

CAROLINE VICKREY:

Hear hear. This stretch of Clark is super tight because the street itself
is so narrow and there is so much happening on it – cars, bikes,
pedestrians, high rises, stores, and restaurants. My husband and I
walk this stretch on a very frequent basis on the way to the Century
Theater, and it is difficult to navigate on foot sometimes because the
sidewalks are so narrow. Many stretches are uninviting because it is
cramped, has few mature trees and few outdoor dining venues (the
small area by Cycle Smithy and Fournette is such a welcomed open
space!) The crosswalks with the pedestrian signs, I believe, are simply
hazardous, and really need to be replaced with fewer signs, but full
stop signs. As a pedestrian I would choose to cross at a stop sign far
more than I like to venture out into a pedestrian sign where I’m not
sure if people will stop. As a driver, I also prefer stop signs and more definite rules. As for sidewalks versus bike lanes, it is a difficult choice,
because both have their benefits to the city and to the local
economy. But what I’d like to see is a re-imagination of that entire
corridor to make it more inviting and avoid the parking lot effect,
taking into consideration the fact that Stockton to the east is a
perfect thoroughfare through the same area. Stockton itself is a
much more ideal place to bike, since many of the crosswalks go
under or over it, so fewer opportunities for biker/pedestrian collisions.
Connecting it to Clark Street at North Avenue and Diversey would
be a good first step in the right direction.

The “Redefine the Drive” project to redesign North Lake Shore
Drive is currently underway. After numerous public meetings, a list
of the top 20 ideas for improvement has been released. The
second-most popular idea is “Improve transit service/Install
exclusive Bus Rapid Transit facility/Increase transit/Install light
rail”. What are your thoughts on the state of public transit on
Lake Shore Drive currently, as well as on dedicating a portion of
Lake Shore Drive to exclusive public transit use?

JEN KRAMER:CDOT is doing an excellent job reaching out to the community to get input on this
once in a life time project. Improving transit is a must along the Lake Shore corridor.
The conversation needs to also incorporate the CTA, but the bus stops along the inner
Drive need immediate improvement. There is not enough room for shelters and the
elements – particularly on winter days – can be brutal while waiting for a bus. We are in need of some shelters that will prevent snow and slush from splashing on people.

JERRY QUANDT:I fully support the BWLP statement provided to the NLSD Project:

Lake Shore Drive is part of Chicago’s beloved boulevard system, and remains classified as a boulevard.
It used to look much like Midway Plaisance, Humboldt Boulevard, and others; unfortunately, it was
changed over the decades to add many elements that made it look and feel more like a highway than
the boulevard-through-the-park that it should be. Therefore, many drivers envision it to be a high-speed,
high-volume expressway and treat it as such; however, that is not what Lake Shore Drive is currently
defined as legally, and not what it was ever meant to be. Lake Shore Drive remains a boulevard and any
changes should enhance its boulevard characteristics.
From the US DOT Federal Highway Administration website
(http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/map21/qandas/qatap.cfm):

A boulevard is defined as a:

Walkable, low-speed (35 mph or less) divided arterial thoroughfare in urban
environments designed to carry both through and local traffic, pedestrians and
bicyclists. Boulevards may be long corridors, typically four lanes but sometimes wider,
serve longer trips and provide pedestrian access to land. Boulevards may be high-
ridership transit corridors. Boulevards are primary goods movement and emergency
response routes and use vehicular and pedestrian access management techniques. Curb
parking is encouraged on boulevards. ...

An eligible "boulevard" project should demonstrate some of the following elements:

Traffic calming measures

Context-sensitive bicycle and pedestrian facilities.

Compliance with accessibility requirements and guidelines.

Promotion of transit corridor through additional protected stops and routes.

We encourage you to emphasize in the Purpose and Need Statement the need to add all five of these boulevard characteristics to the future LSD during the design process.
Because Lake Shore Drive is a boulevard and not a freeway, the use of the Level of Service criteria for
freeways as a way to measure how well LSD is serving motorized vehicle traffic is wholly inappropriate,
and should not be included in the Purpose and Need Statement.

MICHELE SMITH:I think we should look towards dedicating space for public transit on Lake Shore Drive. The
Redefine the Drive initiative gives us an opportunity to make big plans. Those plans should include
dedicating space to ease public transit use on Lake Shore Drive.

CAROLINE VICKREY:The ingress and egress to and from Lake Shore Drive is the cause of
many bottlenecks and traffic patrols need to be better placed to
release these bottlenecks. With respect to transit service, I would
love to see part of Lake Shore Drive dedicated to public transit or
light rail. I’d love to see a light rail down the center of the drive with
access to the lakefront at all points, which would loosen up car
congestion by allowing visitors to park further away and ride light rail
to the beach.

BWLP's Question #4

The third-most popular idea of the “Redefine the Drive” project
is “Improve east-west pedestrian/bike connections and
facilities”. What are your thoughts on the state of east-west
pedestrian, bike and public transportation connections to the
Lakefront Trail within the 43rd ward currently?

JEN KRAMER:I completely agree with this idea. There are not enough connections. The
underground connections that exist are too narrow and can be a haven for unwanted
activities. I want to study whether the roadway can be lowered and the pedestrian
crossings can be at street level or slightly above. It would be safer and more pleasant
than some of our underpasses.

JERRY QUANDT:Having been a contributor to the BWLP statement, I fully support this recommendation:

"We would like to reiterate the the dire need for better east-west bike lanes and transit service to and from the parks, zoo, beaches and other amenities along the lakefront. Efficient, reliable bus service and safe bike lanes leading from the L stops to the lakefront amenities are especially needed."

MICHELE SMITH:The East-West connections are inadequate. The Armitage bike lanes are neither adequate nor
safe. I support the implementation of greenways. Again, I look forward to partnering with Bike
Walk Lincoln Park and the community at large to creating a more bicycle- and pedestrian-friendly
neighborhood.

CAROLINE VICKREY:The east-west traffic to the lakefront is one of the biggest problems in
our city, and especially in Lincoln Park. We have only a few streets in
all of Lincoln Park that cross the river and go directly to the lakefront.
Every one of those arteries is completely clogged throughout the
summer. I believe that we need to take serious action to alert visitors
to the lakefront area of existing parking spaces to prevent them from
driving in and circling unsuccessfully for parking. Creating parking
spaces west of Lincoln Park and providing shuttle service to areas east is a great idea, but only if the traffic is flowing enough to have it
make sense. Setting up an app that tells visitors about available
parking would help manage visitor traffic. At the very least traffic
alerts and parking lot status should be posted at the el overpasses.
Extra Divvy bike stands should be located further from the lakefront
and certain east-west streets like Dickens should be encouraged for
biking only.

No bike lanes or crosswalks are present directly under the Armitage L stop due to car parking spaces.
(Photo: Bike Walk Lincoln Park)

BWLP's Question #5

How do you feel about redistributing parking spaces in the 43rd ward
to improve access and safety for people walking, biking and riding
public transit? For example, moving metered spaces under L tracks or
near intersections to add marked crosswalks and continuous bike
lanes.

JEN KRAMER:This is a broad question and it would need to be answered on a case by case basis.
That said, I would be in favor clearing corners and moving parking under “L” tracks
to improve public safety.

JERRY QUANDT:This solution needs to be a core component of a comprehensive and sustainable vision of our
commercial districts so that we are not trying to solve for one problem only to create others.
We are at a very exciting time in the 43rd Ward, with all of these needs converging at the same
time. This will allow us to create the most optimal and sustainable solutions.

MICHELE SMITH:We have already redistributed parking places as a part of the Children’s Memorial Hospital
redevelopment plan. However, as residents are well aware, the City faces severe financial
penalties when it moves metered spaces. This is a result of the ill-conceived parking meter deal
that occurred during the previous administration.

CAROLINE VICKREY:All fantastic ideas for solving the parking conundrum in our ward. I
would be very much in favor of these and other ideas to encourage
biking and walking as much as possible – especially to patronize the
new local restaurants I will be recruiting to move into the
neighborhood!

_________________Responses to the Active Transportation Alliance survey from all aldermanic candidates citywide will be posted on the ATA website soon and we'll link to it here.

We'd like to thank all the candidates sincerely for taking the time to respond, and for providing thoughtful -- and thought-provoking -- answers. We hope this has been useful to our blog readers, and we encourage everyone to vote on February 24th. Good luck to all the candidates!

About Us

We welcome anyone who wants to help make biking and walking in the Lincoln Park neighborhood safe and enjoyable to contact us, and join in on events! Co-leaders are Michelle Stenzel and Michael Reynolds.